Idaho exchange: After '5 months of crisis mode,' time to 'stop and take a breath'

Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today’s Idaho insurance exchange board action, immediately ending a no-bid contract that was awarded to a former board member last week, forbidding issuance of any contract for more than $15,000 without board approval, and commissioning an independent review of what happened. Said board member Jim Rice, “I think we’ve made some progress on getting to where we need to be.” Board Chairman Stephen Weeg said, “We’ve operated under a crisis mode for five months, and it’s time to stop and take a breath.”

Last week, former board member Frank Chan, head of the exchange board’s technology committee, was awarded a $375,000 no-bid contract with the exchange to oversee tech vendors, and resigned from the board the same day. The choice of a replacement for Chan on the board is up to Gov. Butch Otter.